THE SUMMER HOUSE.

IT has been often remarked that every complete narrative has its beginning, its centre, and its conclusion-if it wants either of these portions, or is incapable of being thus divided, it must always prove unsatisfactory to the hearer, as it also does when the end does not afford a result which is answerable to the promise of the beginning.

Accordingly, to a pious mind, no narrative however prosperous, as far as this world goes, can be satisfactory, which does not leave some assurance that the eternal interests of the hero of that narrative have been duly cared for. Hence the histories of some of the greatest men who have ever existed on this earth are particularly deficient, as it regards their closing scenes; these assurances being in too many instances more than problematical.

I have often thought (and I believe that the idea is not wholly new) that the life of a christian on earth, whether it extends through many or few revolutions of the sun, cannot be more aptly compared than to a perfect circle; ending in that point where it commenced, namely, in the innocence, simplicity, and unapprehensiveness of the infant at the breast, (for are we not admonished, that unless we be converted and become as little children we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven?) The advanced state, or second state of infant simplicity, differing only from the first in this particular; namely, the infinite superiority of the object on which the filial affections are reposed. The first being the natural parent, the second that which is heavenly and spiritual; and hence the repose of confidence of the christian at the moment of his falling into an eternal sleep on the bosom of his Redeemer, being more perfect and entire than that of the baby on his mother's breast.

I could enlarge through many pages on this idea so full of peace and comfort to the pious mind, but having no doubt that I have already said enough to inspire my readers with many subjects of pleasing meditation, I shall proceed to my own narrative, which will, I trust, be found to bear a reference to that which I have remarked above.

I am the son of a country gentleman of a respectable family; my father married three times, and I being the only child of

the second wife, was in consequence a sort of non-descript member of the family; for I am sorry to add that our little society was not remarkable at that time for its harmony.

Of my father's two former wives, my mother had been the least beloved, and it can hardly be questioned but that the ascendancy of the third who still lived to assert her own rights, was considerably more powerful than that of the other two, who dwelt only in the recollection of some members of the family.

It was also supposed that I was to have a very small fortune and that I was to be nearly dependant upon my elder brother, I was therefore little accounted of by any of the servants, or the cottagers on the estate, with the exception of the nurse, who had taken me at the moment of my birth from my dying mother, and reared me under her own roof till I was of such an age, that for the family credit, it was thought necessary to bring me home, and dress me in a jacket and trousers of the same materials and fashion as those of my elder brothers; but before this important crisis had arrived, my step-mother had provided my father with several objects for his paternal solicitude, junior to me in different degrees.

I do not, however, mean to say that I was used with actual unkindness at home; I was merely overlooked, and lost as it were in the crowd of elders and youngers; no person ever thinking it worth his while to distinguish me, either with the view of shewing me a kindness, or treating me with disrespect.

It was natural for me under these circumstances, to acquire the habit of amusing myself independently of the other members of the family, in consequence of which, whilst still in boyhood when set at liberty from my daily tasks, (for a classical tutor was kept for us in the house,) I used to escape through the park to my nurse's cottage, where I kept ducks, and fowls, and rabbits, and where I was always received with a sort of parental tenderness, such as I never experienced elsewhere; a tenderness which used to shed a sort of sunshine, easier to be conceived than described, over my young heart. My nurse had become a widow before my recollection, and her only child my foster sister had left her, she was therefore a sort of isolated being like myself, and the daily visits of master

Edmund were in consequence her chief delight, and almost only earthly solace; and she looked as duly for them as she did for her noontide meal. Her cottage was situated on the side of a woody dingle, just under the old wall of a garden, which had once belonged to the ancient manor-house of the estate, but the house itself had gone to decay years before, and the garden had become an orchard, although it still retained a few bushes of southernwood and other garden plants, which indicated the former designation of the spot; yet, as I before said, a part of the wall remained, and in a corner of that wall there stood a summer house with a pepper box roof, and a casement window, commanding a view into the depths of the dingle. The steps which led up to the door of this summer house, had been the frequent resort of myself and my foster sister Sally in those happy days of early infancy, in which I had been left entirely to the care of my nurse, and there we had sat many a long summer's morning, amusing ourselves in twisting osiers to make baskets, and forming chains from the hollow stalks of the dandelion; but because the key of the summer house door was not to be found, we had never gone further than the steps, although we had made many ineffectual attempts to discover what was within that door through a chink which time had worn in the pannels. But after my little dear companion Sally had gone away, for she had been adopted by an aunt and uncle at some distance, I took no more delight in sitting on those steps, though I often walked around the summer house, and contemplated the means of getting access to the chamber within. At length I conceived the idea of consulting my nurse on the subject, and being encouraged by her, watched a propitious moment, and asked my father if he would permit me to have the door opened, and have access to the apartment. My father smiled when I made this mighty request, and granted the favor without hesitation, adding that he was hardly aware that the place was still standing, and that he would send a workman to ascertain if it were quite safe for me to be playing my pranks within its dilapidated walls.

This matter was soon settled to my satisfaction; the old walls and timbers were found to be quite sound, and having my father's sanction, I persuaded the workman to mend the plaster,

and to color the walls; I was so fortunate also as to find a quantity of old green glass in a lumber room in my father's house, with which I caused the casements to be repaired, and then when my nurse had thoroughly cleaned and scoured the apartment, and a strong lock had been put on the door, I again searched the lumber room at the hall, and through the medium of the housekeeper obtained a carved oak table, a few old chairs, and some other articles of the same fashion, which had incumbered the store room for half a century, and got them conveyed to my house, where my nurse arranged them to my infinite satisfaction, in a manner which I thought extremely handsome. Who then was a greater man than I was? and truly my country house, as I called it, was exquisitely beautiful, as regarded the prospects seen from its windows. Could any thing be more delightful than the various rural sounds and fragrant breezes which regaled my senses, as I sat with my casement open in this my charming retreat.

I was as much as fourteen years of age when I obtained possession of my mansion, and as from that period, my tutor took little note of what I did, excepting during the few hours in which I was engaged in construing and repeating my portions of Greek and Latin with him, I spent most of each day in this place, for there was a little grate and a chimney in my apartment, and I had engaged my nurse to light me a fire when it was cold. To fit up my house with various conveniences, such as shelves and pegs to hang my possessions upon, was an endless source of delight to me; and for several months after this, I had other amusements better suited to my age, such as reading, drawing, writing, &c. all of which I carried on in this favored spot. I kept a dog also in this place, to guard my property during my absence, though the best protection perhaps which I had, was that I possessed nothing worth the risk of purloining. When I was about seventeen, another source of delight was opened to me, owing to a visit at that time made to my father, by a celebrated naturalist, who being invited by me, visited me often in my retirement, and took the trouble of initiating me into some of the wonderful mysteries of natural philosophy, instructing ine how to class and arrange the various animals with which I was surrounded, and encouraging me to the study of botany,

by which study, a thousand charming and interesting objects hitherto overlooked, were brought forward to my attention, and the shelves which had been till now devoted to fishing tackle and carpenter's tools, were soon after this enriched with dried specimens of plants, carefully arranged within sheets of blotting paper. In the mean time as I was less and less regarded by my elder brothers, whose prevailing tastes at that period were for field sports, there was no person to whom I ever attempted to open my mind, but my nurse, who used to look up with amazement at my prodigious learning, when I endeavored to explain any of the natural wonders which fell under my observation; nevertheless, the remarks which she used to make on these occasions, notwithstanding her profound ignorance, as to all matters of science, were of infinitely more importance to me as an immortal creature, than all the lessons I had ever received from my learned classical tutor, or even from the profound naturalist who had visited my father.

From my earliest infancy, this poor creature had endeavored to lead my thoughts to my Creator. Before we could speak plain, she had made me and my foster sister kneel before her, and repeat the prayers which she dictated to us, and taking her creed from Dr. Watts's Divine Songs, of which she possessed one of the oldest editions, she had endeavored to impress each doctrine upon our young minds, as it was brought forward in the hymn which was our Sanday task, for she required us to repeat one hymn with our catechism every Sunday, and from the period of my being taken home, and seeing her again only as a visitor, she continued to enforce the same doctrines whenever an occasion called for them, often requesting me as a favor to read a chapter to her, under the plea that her eyes did not suit as formerly for the purpose. It would have been impossible for the veriest infidel not to have honored religion as it appeared in the humble and consistent conduct of this excellent woman, and I certainly never knew the time in which I did not respect my nurse's character, and even wish I could be like her. Yet I do not recollect any period during my youth, in which I could say that I was decidedly impressed by any religious feelings.